A Proper Goodbye
by BlueMoonFan
Summary: Written after I watched Family First. Spoilers up to and including that episode. Because I want a happy ending for Tony and Ziva I decided to write this to fix it. I own nothing except the idea for the story.
1. Chapter 1

Okay, because I absolutely hated the ending of 13x24, I'm writing a fic to fix it. I haven't written for NCIS for a long time. So, please forgive me if I've gotten anything wrong.

This picks up where Family First left off. Tony and Tali are headed to Israel and then to Paris. What will he find when they get there? Will there be trouble along the way? This will be a multi-chapter fic….

Tony and Tali arrived at the Washington DC airport early on a Friday morning. Tony pushed her stroller and was carrying an overstuffed diaper bag. He tried to tell Senior that he didn't need this much stuff, but he had insisted. Tony knew when it was useless to argue with his father. Most of what was in the bag was toys and extra clothes. Clothes he wasn't sure that he would need, much less use during the flight.

Arriving early was both a blessing and a curse. They went through security quickly and were asked for their passports. Which Tony gladly had ready. Then, he pushed her over to the window to watch the planes move around the tarmac. Tali babbled happily and Tony smiled and kissed the top of her head.

He closed his eyes and wished that Ziva was here with him. Wished that they were raising her together. What she had done was monumentally unfair. He had missed out on so much of her young life. Time that could have been spent with Ziva. For her to not tell him that she was pregnant, well, it was so unfair. Tony had meant what he'd told Orli. He would have dropped everything and been there to be with Ziva. Yes, he knew that she didn't need a man to complete her, but he needed her to complete him. Dammit. He still harbored deep resentment towards her for making the decision to exclude him from being a part of both Tali and Ziva's lives.

In the week since she had entered his life, Tony had realized that his life was incomplete before Tali entered his life. He had a new purpose in his life. Something bigger than himself. He only wished that Ziva was here with him. Wished that they were doing this together.

He wasn't proud to say that the first night after he left NCIS, he went home, found a picture of Ziva and fell asleep crying. Thinking about what could have been. Thinking about how they should have been a family. How they should have been together the last three years instead of thousands of miles apart.

Part of him felt like he had all those years ago when he'd rescued her from the desert. He felt as if she was still alive. Which was crazy. Wasn't it? Mossad had assured Vance and Gibbs that Ziva was, in fact, dead. Why did was it so impossible for him to believe? Was is some strange kind of denial? Was it the fact that he still loved her? Even after all these years he had held out hope that she would come back and they would pick up from where they left off.

Maybe Mossad and NCIS were wrong again. Maybe by going to Israel he could find her again.

Looking down at Tali though, he knew that the chances of her being alive were slim to none. No matter how hard he tried, he had a hard time believing that she was gone. Surely he would feel it if she was. He couldn't stop the uneasy feeling that he had deep inside. That maybe, just maybe all of the so called experts were wrong. Maybe Ziva was still alive and being help captive. Maybe she had ran to Paris, Berlin or some other country that she loved.

If that was the case, why would she send their daughter to him? There were so many unanswered questions that it made his head hurt. That was the main reason that he was taking this trip. To answer some of the questions that were nagging at him. Hopefully he would get the answers that he was needing. Then and only then could he get on with his life once and for all.

Little did Tony know, but things were going to happen that would leave him with many more questions and few answers…..

Reviews are loved and appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

Walking off of the plane nearly 14 hours later, Tony found that he was extremely grateful to his father for all of the toys and snacks that his father had packed. Flying with a twenty two month old child was something Tony hadn't prepared himself for.

Tali was good for the first two hours. She was content with coloring and looking out the window. Tony could tell that she was getting tired and anything that he tried to do to entertain her wasn't working.

Thankfully, he had plenty of snacks to offer her and the flight attendants were wonderful with coming by and making faces at her and giving her juice boxes. They offered Tony a smile and he thanked them profusely.

She finally fell asleep on his lap four hours into the flight. It gave Tony time to think about everything that had happened.

Two months ago, he had been living a carefree life. He hadn't dated since Ziva had been gone. When he'd left her in Israel two plus years ago, he'd left behind his heart also. Now, he was a single father responsible for the most precious thing in his life. The moment she entered his life he knew that he would never be the same again. This little girl was the only thing that mattered.

He closed his eyes and wished, not for the first time, that he'd known about Ziva being pregnant. He kissed the top of her head and felt the emotions welling up in his throat. She was so young and she'd lost so much. She'd lost her mom and had been uprooted from the only home she'd ever known.

Walking into the terminal of the Ben Gurion International Airport, Tony was only mildly surprised that the head of Mossad was waiting for him. Apparently she had gotten wind of him travelling to the country. He wondered if Gibbs or Vance had called her. She walked over to Tony and had a big smile on her face.

Orli greeted him warmly, "Welcome to Israel Tony."

Tony shook his head, "No offense, but I don't need an escort. I'm perfectly fine on my own and…"

"No offense Tony, but Israel is different from the United States. We have many more security problems here. We have to err on the side of caution and we want to keep you and Tali safe while you are here."

"So you want to spy on me. Make sure I don't go where I'm not allowed."

Shaking her head, Orli assured him, "No Tony. We are simply here to insure your safety."

"So I don't have any choice in the matter."

Orli smiled and shrugged her shoulders, "You could refuse, but my men will follow you anyway."

Tony knew then that it was pointless to argue with her. So, he simply followed her to their waiting vehicles.

One thing that he'd forgotten about Israel was how incredibly beautiful it was. Despite the chaos and terror that the people in this country experienced on an almost daily basis, people seemed to be going on with their business.

Orli asked him, "Where are you and Tali staying?"

"We are staying at the Lily and Bloom Boutique hotel."

"Nice choice. Listen Tony, I know that you are here for answers to all of the questions you have, but I must ask you to use caution in your comings and goings. Israel can be a dangerous place for foreigners. Especially Americans. My men will be here to take you anywhere you wish. Just do not do anything foolish."

"I won't Orli. I know that I have to be safe especially since I have Tali to think about long as your men don't stop me from my objective."

"Which is?"

"I need answers. Some things just aren't adding up. She was my soulmate Orli. I don't feel like she's gone. I would know it. I feel like there might be a chance…."

"I understand Tony. Just know that we will not do anything to hamper you. We are simply here to protect you and Tali."

"Thank you Orli."

Orli simply nodded and they dropped him off at their hotel. Orli watched him walk inside and sighed. She knew that he was a man in love and as such he would not be stopped until he found the answers that he needed.

Tony checked into the hotel and was shown to his room. There was a pack and play in the room and Tony knew that Tali was exhausted so, he laid her in it.

Then he went to the window and looked outside. He sighed and whispered, "I don't feel like you're gone Ziva. If you're out there I'm going to find you. I still love you and we both need you."

He closed his eyes and a tear slid down his left cheek…...


	3. Chapter 3

After a restless night's sleep, Tony woke to the phone in their room ringing. He was still half asleep when he answered, "H-hello… Who is this and why are you calling so early?"

He heard a small laugh from the other side of the phone and the person responded, "This is Orli. I need to see you in my office immediately. There's been a development."

Tony popped up in his bed and asked, "What kind of development?"

He heard her sigh and then she said, "We have located Ziva. It seems…"

"What? Why didn't you come here and get me? Why call me on the phone? I'll be there soon."

Orli managed to tell him, "Leave Tali there. I have one of my officers coming there to watch her for you."

"Why do I have to leave her? I can't say that I'm entirely comfortable with that. She's quite clingy and I don't want her to think that I've left her and if you've found her mother I think she should be there. Don't you?"

"Yes of course, but there is a small problem."

"What kind of problem?"

Orli heaved a heavy sigh and finally told him, "I did not want to tell you this over the phone. This kind of thing is better relayed in person and…."

"Listen Orli, I really don't have time for any kind of games. Either you tell me what's wrong with her or I'm hanging up."

Orli finally told him, "She has amnesia. She has completely forgotten the last three years. She still thinks that you just left her a few months ago. She has absolutely no memory of giving birth to Tali. So seeing her daughter would not be good for her right now."

"Wouldn't seeing our daughter help to jar her memory?"

"Right now the doctors feel that it would do more harm than good. That's why they suggested you coming in alone. Seeing you might trigger some of her memory."

"Fine, but I'm not leaving Tali here. I will bring her with me to the hospital. Whoever you have coming to watch her here can do that just as well there."

"I do not think that is a good idea. I…."

"You know what? I really don't care what you think. I'm not leaving her here with a stranger. It's not happening. I'm going to do everything and anything I can to protect her and that includes not leaving her here without me."

"Fine. I will allow it. But only if she waits outside of Ziva's room. I will not go against her doctor's wishes."

Tony hung up the phone without saying goodbye and hurried to get ready.

He showered and changed into his clothes for the day and then he woke Tali. He gave her a bath and then he made them breakfast. He smiled as he remembered the way Ziva would tease him about his lack of nutrition in the past. If she could only see him now. Cutting up fresh fruit and cooking eggs for them both. He let Tali's cool and gave her some fruit, which she ate quickly.

Tony didn't stop to let himself think about what Orli had told him. He couldn't think about it. Couldn't imagine Ziva not remembering him he could fathom. However, he was heartbroken to think that she didn't remember their daughter. He vowed right then and there that he was going to do everything that he could to bring back her memories.

They finished breakfast and then cleaned her up. He had just finished it when there was a knock on the door. Tony sighed and picked up Tali and swung her in the air. She squealed happily and Tony smiled and sighed as he went to answer the door. He already knew who it was.

He grabbed Tali's diaper bag and they hurried to the waiting vehicle. Tony wondered how Ziva would act when he finally saw her again after all this time. He didn't want to do anything to harm her recovery, but he did want some answers and he needed them as quickly as possible.

Tony hurried out of the SUV and up to the door of the hospital. Before he walked into the hospital, he handed Tali her dog and left her sitting with the Officer in the waiting room. Before leaving the room, Tony turned and watched his daughter playing. He sighed and walked behind the swinging doors.

The doctor walked with him and told him a little about her condition. Apparently she had been thrown clear in the blast and hit her head on a rock. She was knocked unconscious and she woke before the firefighters arrived. After some time, she managed to find her way to the hospital. When they realized who she actually was, they contacted the Director of Mossad. Unfortunately, they had already taken Tali to Tony.

However, considering that she couldn't remember her daughter, it was probably a good thing. Tony listened and after a few moments, Tony asked, "Does she remember anything about me?"

The doctor nodded, "She remembers you, but she has no memory of her pregnancy or giving birth to the baby. Which is why I asked for you to come alone."

Tony sighed and ran a hand through his hair and asked, "Will she ever remember Tali?"

The doctor answered him honestly, "I can say for sure. Quite honestly, the brain is a mysterious thing. She could wake up tomorrow and remember everything."

"But?"

"But her memories of that time of her life could be gone forever. I could get better over time."

"How can she not remember her own daughter? I could understand her not remembering me, but…."

He broke off and sighed sadly. How he wished that things were different. He wished that he hadn't listened to her when she refused to come back with him. He wished that he had stayed with her. Made her come back with him. Things would have been so different. They would have been able to raise Tali together and she wouldn't have forgotten their daughter.

They stopped in front of Ziva's room and the doctor asked, "Are you ready?"

"No, but let's go."

Taking a deep breath, he followed the doctor into the room. Ziva was looking out the window and turned to look at them. When she saw Tony, he saw a small smile appear on her face. Then she whispered, "Tony…."

Tony's heart lept into his throat and he wasn't able to talk for a moment. He took a deep breath and walked over to her bed and leaned down and kissed her cheek and whispered, "Hello ninja."

Her smile widened and she asked, "Can you tell them that I do not need to be in here?"

Tony sighed, "I think being in here, at least for the time being is a good thing. It looks like you have a pretty nasty head wound."

"Miss David, it's best that you stay here. At least for now. Until your memory is fully returned."

Tony heard Ziva sigh and he knew that she didn't like being here. However, he had to agree with her doctor. He pulled up a chair and sat down beside her. He took her hand and kissed it softly and whispered, "Let the doctors do their job Ziva. Everything will still be there when you get out."

Ziva knew that she wasn't going to win, so she sat back in her bed and sighed. Tony laughed softly and she shot him a look. He shook his head and kissed her hand again. He was going to tell the doctor how bad of a patient she was, but there was a knock on the door. The Mossad Officer that was watching Tali, peeked his head in and told Tony, "We need you out here."

Tony stood up and told Ziva, "I'll be right back."

"Is everything okay?"

"It's fine Ziva. I will be right back."

Tony walked out of the room and asked, "What's wrong?"

They walked to the waiting room and Tony could hear Tali crying loudly, "I tried everything I could think of the calm her down. She keeps calling for you."

Tony hurried to her and picked her up and hugged her tightly. He talked to her softly until she finally calmed down. He could tell that she was bored. He told the doctor, "I need to take her out of here. Can I tell her goodbye?"

The doctor nodded, "Yes. I will hold Tali while you go into her room."

Tony walked back into Ziva's room and leaned down to hug her. He kissed her on the cheek and told her, "You need your sleep. I will be back soon."

He saw her smile and as he walked over to the door he heard her whisper, "I love you Tony."

His heart caught in his throat and he smiled, "I love you also Ninja."

He walked out of the room and vowed right then and there that he would do whatever it took to help her remember that they had a daughter together….

 _ **Remember, reviews are love...Please drop me a line and let me know what you think of this story...**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Okay, I have to clear up one thing. This story might have similarities to other stories. That I can't help. Please know that I've not taken any other authors ideas or stories. I just have a certain idea of the reasons what would keep Ziva away from her daughter. Any mother would do anything to stay with her daughter. Any coincidences are merely that…..**_

Tony managed to get Tali calmed down, fed and then he went back to the hospital. Ziva was sleeping when he returned. He sat down beside her bed and watched her sleep. He took out his phone and pulled up a picture of Tali and Senior. They were playing dressup and Senior was wearing a floppy hat. Luckily Tali wasn't old enough to get him to wear makeup. That would definitely be a sight to see.

Tony laughed at the picture. It was one of his favorite pictures of his daughter. He loved it so much that he made it his background picture. He sighed and decided then and there that he was going to show Ziva the picture. Maybe seeing her would jar something inside Ziva and bring her memories back.

There was a knock on the door and one of Ziva's doctors came into the room. He looked at Tony and asked, "How long has she been asleep?"

"I'm not sure. I left for about an hour and when I got back she was asleep. I've been back for about twenty minutes."

Nodding, the doctor said, "We need to take her for some tests. We should be back in about an hour."

Tony nodded and made himself comfortable in the chair. He wasn't going to leave until she came back. Standing at the window, he was struck by how beautiful Israel was. Even here in the hospital it was a lovely place. Maybe when Ziva was ready to leave the hospital she could take him on a tour of her homeland.

He closed his eyes and fell asleep in the chair. He woke to the sound of Ziva laughing, "You can sleep anyway."

Tony slowly opened his eyes and smiled at Ziva. He laughed, "I guess I can."

The nurse made sure that Ziva was in bed and then she left the room. Tony took a deep breath and decided that now was the time to show her pictures of Tali. He had no idea what was going to happen.

He pulled the chair closer to her bed and told her softly, "I want to show you something. Something that I think will help you get your memory back."

"I want that. More than you could ever know."

So, Tony picked up his phone and opened the picture of Tali. He showed it to Ziva and he heard her sharp intake of breath. She whispered, "You have a daughter?"

Nodding, Tony answered, "Yes. She's named after someone very special."

"How old is she?"

"She is twenty two months old. Her personality is a lot like her mother's. She is smart."

"I see…" She looked at him and finally asked, "Tony, why are you here to torture me? It's bad enough that I do not remember a big chunk of time…. You show me pictures of a daughter you have with another woman?"

Tony sighed, "I understand, but I think this will help you get your memory back."

"Why? What good could this possibly do me?"

"Ziva I…"

"No! Just leave Tony! Please?"

Before he could stop it, two things happened. Ziva threw one of her pillows at him and then Tali ran into the room. The Mossad agent follow closely behind her and he told Tony, "I'm sorry. She ran past me and she's faster than I am."

Tali saw Ziva and ran over to the bed and called out, "Ima!"

She launched herself onto the bed and Ziva was speechless as her daughter cuddled closer to her. Ziva looked like she was absolutely terrified of Tali. Almost like the little girl was a snake getting ready to strike.

Finally, after a few tense moments, Ziva looked at Tali and then at Tony and whispered, "She is my daughter?"

Tony could only nod and say, "Yes."

Shaking her head, Ziva told him, "I don't remember her. I….."

"It's okay Ziva. Let us help you remember. Lets do it together…."

"Tony, I think I would remember having a baby. I…."

That's when the doctor came into the room and noticed Tali sitting with Ziva. He shook his head and told Tony, "I warned you against this."

"Yeah, well. What can I say, my daughter had other ideas. She wanted me and when she saw her mother…."

"I am not her mother Tony…"

Tony reached out and took her hand, "You are Ziva. Trust me with this."

"When did I even get pregnant? I do not remember this Tony. Why…."

Tony knew she was getting more and more upset, so he took Tali and told Ziva, "I'll be right back."

He whispered to Tali when she started to get upset at leaving her mom, "I'm going to take you outside and maybe they will take you down to the cafeteria for some ice cream."

At the promise of ice cream, Tali smiled and settled down at the promise of ice cream. When he got into the waiting room the Mossad Officer was waiting for him. Tony asked, "I need to talk to Ziva without little ears in the room. Would you mind taking her to get some ice cream."

The man smiled and held out his arms for the little girl. She practically flung herself at him. Tony smiled as he watched them walk towards the elevator. He sighed and walked back to Ziva's room. He walked over to her bed and put his hand on her shoulder. He watched as she turned around and saw her red eyes. He told her softly, "Look Ziva, I'm not sure why you forgot these memories, but I'm going to do everything I can to help you remember."

"What kind of mother am I? I can't remember her. I…"

Tony covered her mouth with his hand and told her, "We will work this out together."

"What if I never remember it Tony? What if the last three years of my memory is gone forever? What will she think of me when she is older? What if…"

"Stop… Just stop torturing yourself. Look, when the doctors give you the okay to get out of here we will take Tali someplace nice and spend some time together. Maybe visit your Aunts. I will do everything I can to help you get your memory back."

"And if it is gone forever?"

Tony leaned down and kissed her and whispered, "If it's gone forever then we will spend time making new memories. Memories of the three of us as a family. Memories to replace the old ones. However, I'm not ready to give up. I promise Ziva. Whatever it takes it what I will do…."

And Tony meant what he was saying. If it took forever he would spend forever helping her regain her memories that she lost or make new memories together….

 _ **Remember, reviews are love...Please drop me a line and let me know what you think of this story...**_


	5. Chapter 5

Tony took Tali home that night and he had a thousand questions running through his head. How in the world did Ziva manage to escape the farmhouse? How had they identified a body as hers? When it was clear that she was still alive. Was it all a mistake? A hoax? Or something more?

He knew that he needed answers to these questions. Sooner rather than later. So, he was on the phone with the director of Mossad. If anyone had any answers, he knew it would be her.

It seemed as if she was waiting for his call, because she picked up almost before the phone rang on his end, "Hello Tony."

"Orli."

"I know you have questions and…"

"Questions? You think I have questions? Why in the world would I have questions. Maybe it's because you told me that Ziva was dead. You assured me that she was. Then, I come here to get answers and find that she's alive and in a hospital."

"Tony, if you would just calm down and listen to me…."

"Why should I listen to anything that you have to say? How can I believe anything that comes out of your mouth? Do you know how hard it was for me to see her in that hospital room? How…."

"Tony!"

Tony finally stopped and took a breath. He wasn't a violent man by nature, but he was glad that he was on the phone with her. Because if she had been anywhere in his immediate vicinity, he knew that he would have thrown something. More out of frustration than anything else. He finally asked Orli, "What?"

"We had no idea that Ziva was still alive."

Tony sighed, "You keep saying that. You had no idea about the bomb. You had not idea that it was Trent Kort that was behind it. There is a whole lot that you don't know. Is there anything that you do know? Because I have to tell you that you aren't instilling a whole hell of a lot of confidence here Orli."

He heard her sigh and she said, "Apparently the dental records were wrong. I can't explain it. We double and triple checked it. They matched up. I…"

Tony rubbed his temple and asked, "How did she escape the bombing?"

"Apparently she was out in the orchard and she was on her way back inside. The force of the blast knocked her clear of the house and she hit her head on a rock."

"And no one spotted her? She couldn't have been that well hidden."

"The only person that knows the answer to that is Ziva and…"

"And she can't even remember her daughter let alone how she ended up in the hospital. Where do we go from here?"

"We need to help her regain her memory. One day at a time. One step at a time."

Tony had a feeling that was going to be easier said than done. However, he would do anything to make that happen. So, he told Orli, "I'm taking her back to the United States. As soon as she is able to travel. We are going back home."

"I think you should spend some time here."

Shaking his head, "We fell in love back home. The only thing she has ever known here is pain and sadness. I'm going to remind her why we fell in love with each other. Hopefully she will remember."

Because he knew that until she regained her memory there was no hope of a future for them. He sighed and hung up the phone. This wasn't up for debate. He was going to take her home. If there was any future for them it was back in the United States. Back where they fell in love. Back where they first met.

He finally fell asleep and managed to get a few hours sleep. Tali woke up very early and after he fed her breakfast, they hurried out of the hotel. They made it to the hospital and the nurses greeted them with a friendly hello. They walked into Ziva's room and when Tony opened the door, he noticed that Ziva was facing away from them. He could hear her softly crying. He sighed and moved closer to her bed and put his hand on her back. In a spontaneous moment, he bent down and kissed her cheek.

She turned and reached for his hand and held on tightly. Tony dropped Tali onto the bed and she snuggled against her mom. Ziva closed her eyes and Tony knew that she was still overcome with guilt. He leaned down and whispered, "Don't worry. We will do this together."

Ziva shook her head, "What if I never remember Tony? What if…"

He put his finger on her mouth and shook his head, "We will do this together. We've gotten through worse things. Remember Somalia? Remember that time we were in the box car? Remember…."

"I remember you trying to kill me by starting fire to that money."

"Hey! What about you trying to shoot out the lock and…"

Ziva laughed softly, "That was not the smartest thing I had done. I…"

"We can do this ninja… We can do it together. One step at a time. Even if takes forever, we will do this together…"

Ziva nodded and looked down at their daughter. She smiled and closed her eyes as Tony watched them silently. He kissed Ziva's head and sat down in a chair to wait for the doctor to come into the room to talk to them. He needed to know when they could leave. He wanted her home as soon as possible and he knew that was the key to her remembering their life and love…..


End file.
